One of the top interior designers of the world, Sanjyt Syngh creates unique curated spaces that have won him several awards. In this interview Sanjyt shares with Lifespice a few details on his journey, his inspirations and methods behind his designs.
Please share a few important milestones of your career.
I grew up in New Delhi but moved to the West for higher education. I did my undergrad at Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, and worked with some amazing designers and architects for a decade there, before moving to London for my post-graduation at the University of the Arts London. Altogether, I spent about 12 years away from India before I decided it was time to move back. I returned home and founded Sanjyt Syngh Design Consultancy. As the Creative Director of my company, I take on many roles. I call myself a creativepreneur.
While I am based out of New Delhi, I create work that you can see anywhere in the world. My approach is very global and detailed. I create spaces that have a unique identity appealing to the inhabitants. I believe in designing every corner, every detail in all the projects I undertake. Everything has a story to tell, be it a cushion, a chair, an ensemble or even a tattoo. It is these stories that reflect your style. I call my spaces “CURATED”.
The body of my work encompasses residences, offices, showrooms, exhibition displays, gyms and restaurants. Having done projects across India in Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Kolkata, I am currently helming projects in Dubai. My firm has had the honour of being named as one of The Top Interior Designers of the World twice by Andrew Martin Interior Design Review in year 2016 and 2018. Two gyms designed by us have won the best gym in India, and the best gym in the world amongst some 3,000 entries. I received the 2019 Elle Décor India Design ID Top 50. I have also been named as the Top 50 Next iGen Designers 2019. Besides this my work has been featured in innumerable trade publications and journals.
Tell us about your experience and learnings imbibed from working with other interior designers.
Oh! This could be a whole magazine. There are lots of people and experiences that influence us. I wouldn’t particularly say interior designers. I have learnt so many things from so many different people and I consider all of them icons because they’ve changed my life and the way I think in so many ways. From the pattern drafter at my parents’ factory – who taught me the foundation of how things are constructed. Or my mother, who made sure that dinner had to be laid in a certain way and her artefacts had to be kept at a specific angle. From Tom Ford to Karl Lagerfeld. I might or might not follow their design aesthetics but the way they think, or function is certainly inspiring.
There are so many other figures like Thom Browne, Peter Marino, Yayoi Kusama, Robert Montgomery, Jaime Hayon. The list is endless, and they all come from different walks of design.
Which has been the most challenging project of your career? What made it so challenging and how did you go about it?
I don’t consider any project as challenging. I believe there is a solution to everything. But if at all I must name a project, it has to be my own apartment. If at all there was any challenge – that was to challenge myself. For my clients, I must create presentations before I start designing the space but here, I was my own client. I don’t repeat concepts and details. Once a space has been designed, there isn’t another one which will have the same elements. Most of my spaces have accent colours in a limited quantity. But in this case, I wanted to go all out and use colour in a bold manner. The process was organic. I started to build layers and the result has surpassed my expectations.
How do client design demands/sensibilities change as you cross geographies?
I believe times have changed and so have clients. With so much exposure with the internet and social media, clients are well informed worldwide. The boundaries have become less wide. Spaces are becoming more global. I call it Glocal – Global with a dash of local.
Your favourite current trends in interiors:
Maximalism!!!
Why Maximalism?
We say a reaction against Minimalism.
Wikipedia describes Maximalism, in the arts, as an aesthetic of excess. The philosophy can be summarised as “more is more’, contrasting with the minimalist motto “less is more”.
Maximalist design fills nearly every inch of space, if not all. Barely any space is left uncovered. There is an explosion of colours, textures, patterns and styles. Black and White is a bold colour choice for a maximalist space. It may seem cluttered on first glance, because it is an eclectic combination of mismatched décor. But when done thoughtfully and with a lot of attention to detail, it can not only turn out harmonious but also a visual treat.
Curation is what separates Maximalism from chaos. In this case, you see black and white as base, but texture and graphic as the contrast. Symmetry brings a sense of balance, while the colours and graphics connect the dots.
Maximalism is here to stay and refuses to be ignored.
Check out the video below for more on Sanjyt Syngh, and his site for even more on the designer.